The Matchmaker
by Moonsunstar
Summary: "All of you immunes carry this gene that could potentially lead to a creation of a cure for the flare. But…it will only appear in children of two people who carry very specific genes.We want you to help others fall in love with their compatible gene match." After landing in Paradise, the trials may have ended but the mission to saving the human race has just started.
1. Cupid's mission

Hazel shook her head in disbelief. "After all that you guys still believe that WICKED can save the human race?"

"We admit that we've been going in the wrong direction. But we've had a major breakthrough with the discovery of Amare genes."

"Am- what?"

"All of you Immunes carry this gene that could potentially lead to a creation of a cure for the flare. But…it will only appear in children of two people who carry very specific genes. If they are combined with the right genes, we may potentially have a new generation of babies who can provide us a cure."

"So what do you want to do with us? Force us into a bed with strangers? Here, knock yourselves out and have a baby? That doesn't make WICKED good, Rat man. That makes WICKED SICK. "

"We decided to take the more…conservative route this time."

Hazel rolled her eyes. Conservative for WICKED probably meant fighting off an army of grievers with a bubble gun.

"That's why we're asking you to help us. We want you to help find the subjects, I mean Immunes find their compatible gene match."

"You want me to play Cupid?" Hazel's eye widened.

"Precisely."

"No. No, and no. You see, I'm a firm believer of love. Haven't you put us through enough already? Just let us live peacefully for the rest of our scarred lives. And maybe, by chance, one of us will fall in love with someone with a compatible gene."

"When has chance ever helped the human race?"

Hazel groaned. "Isn't it enough to have the Immunes help preserve the human race?"

"Why preserve when you can do so much more? Listen Hazel, we're not asking for much. Especially regarding the human race. I know you have all suffered, but others have suffered so much more. You really think that the outside world hasn't seen monsters, been taken from families, watched their friends die or, "

"OK, OK. I'll try to help you. But promise me that you won't use force or violence this time to reach your goals. "

Ratman smiled broadly. "Glad you can see things our way. Now, for the list of compatible matches.

Thomas – Brenda

Teresa – Minho

Sonya – Gally

Hazel –Winston

Harriet – Frypan

Hazel's eyes skimmed over the list. She decided the first two would be easy…NEVERMIND. Teresa was still alive. It had come as a shock to everyone when we discovered that she survived. And to make things worse… she was paired with Minho. It was no secret that they absolutely loathed each other. And as for Hazel…she was matched with Winston. She did not know much about him, except that he seemed like a moody teen, and apparently had an aptitude for slaughtering animals and always smelling like blood.

With a deep sigh, Hazel folded up the piece of paper and mockingly shot a Cupid's arrow at Ratman before joining the others at paradise.

 **A/N- The list that you see above is not exactly who the characters will end up with in the future. Hazel might succeed on some, but others may find love elsewhere. So, keep reading to find out!**


	2. Visitor from the Grave

Hazel joined the others in paradise. They stared out into the distance, their eyes taking in the emerald forest, the glistening river, and the gentle waves rolling into the white sandy shore. If anything, Paradise was the perfect name for this dreamy place. For a minute, no one spoke. Hazel supposed that the gladers were mourning the loss of friends, or staring in awe of the possibility of a new life.

"So what should we do now?" Hazel asked to no one in particular. She was already stressed about all the work that would be required to set up a decent home up in this rural place.

It was Minho who answered. "I'm tired of using my shuck brain. Tonight, we're having a lit bonfire. And I'm gonna get drunk on some of Gally's secret recipe." He sauntered off to a nearby tree and lay down, leaning his back on the trunk of the big oak.

"Well," Brenda said smirking, "I guess it would be appropriate to celebrate tonight."

Hazel sighed. She supposed it would be a relief to just stop thinking about survival and cherish the moment that she was alive after all this hell.

Thomas walked away from the crowd, into the woods. Thomas thought it was wrong. To celebrate their survival when so many of them were dead. The faces of Chuck, Newt, and Teresa flashed through his mind. At that moment he decided that he would never tell Minho about what he had done to Newt.

"Thomas?" Brenda had followed him. "I know you think it's wrong, to celebrate when so many of us are gone.

"I understand why people would do it, it's just...we never had the time to properly say our farewells.

"But we've got to move forward. We can't dwell in the past. The living should move on. After all, we've got a whole new future awaiting us."

Thomas gave her a small smile before reaching out to squeeze her hand. "I guess you're right."

"I'm always right, _Shuck-face."_ She smiled broadly, leaning into Thomas. She kissed him on the cheeks, then on the lips.

All was silent and peaceful, with the rhythmic sounds of the birds chirping and the trees bristling from the gentle wind. It was a moment that all was imbued with hope that they could finally rid of the nightmares from WICKED. They would finally be able to transfer into a world that allowed these sweet moments with your loved ones.

"Thomas?" A familiar voice called out.

It was a voice that could have only come from the grave. Yet, it was undeniably a voice from a physical human being, not two feet away from where they were situated.

Interrupted from their kiss, Thomas and Brenda both jerked back and turned their heads to the source.

Teresa, although bruised and bloody, was standing before them. Very much talking, and very much alive.

"Teresa?" Thomas was in utter shock and same could be said about Brenda.

"I'm glad you still remember me Tommy. Good to see you too Brenda."

"How did you survive? I saw you die with my own eyes!" Brenda exclaimed.

"I don't know. But I guess the important thing is; I'm back." Teresa smiled sadly at Thomas. Her eyes did not leave Thomas for a single moment; waiting for something from him.

Thomas was still too much of a shock to speak.


	3. Drinking Champ

**A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own The Maze Runner or any of its characters.**

When Thomas, Brenda, and Teresa returned to the others, they were met with dumbstruck faces and not-so-subtle whispers.

 _"Spy."_

 _"Traitor."_

 _"She sold us to WICKED."_

Teresa glared sharply at those people. Even under this hostile atmosphere, Teresa would not be subdued. She held her head up high because she knew, that she was just acting for the survival for the human race..

As with the general tension, they carried with them an air of awkwardness as Thomas sauntered in, walking between the two ladies and looking conflicted with Brenda to his right and Teresa to his left.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that we've all been screwed over and gone to hell. It couldn't be paradise with you here Teresa." Minho crossed his arms, glaring at Teresa.

"Have you come back to spy on us for WICKED again? Gain our trust so you can all throw us in a ditch like Thomas?" Gally sneered.

"Or did WICKED give you a free pass? With a _thank you for your service_?"

"If I was you Gally, I'd shut my mouth. I'm not the one who buried that knife in Chuck's body." Teresa shot a particularly dirty look at the Korean boy. "And Minho, has Thomas mentioned that I'm the reason that your beloved Tommy is here with you right now?" Teresa shot back.

Minho literally snarled. "Tommy here, doesn't owe you anything. Not after what you've done to him."

"Minho, stop." Thomas cautioned, feeling extremely uncomfortable as he looked between his best friend and his…ex-girlfriend? His head spun as he tried to make sense of the underlying emotions that he felt.

"What I've done to him? Is it impossible for your stupid sun-fried brain to comprehend that I had no choice like Gally? They told me that they'd kill him if I didn't cooperate. I was just as much of a victim as you guys were." Teresa now stood inches apart from Minho. The angry tension was building and Teresa looked just mad enough to attack with her fists.

"The difference between you and Gally is that you wholeheartedly believed that what WICKED was doing was right. That torturing, kidnapping, and manipulating children was okay. Gally was under complete control of his body and mind when he killed poor Chucky."

With that, the fight in Teresa's eyes seemed to vanish. But she still looked bitter as she muttered, "I'm sorry for my actions now okay. I genuinely believed that they could save the human race. But seeing this place right now, I'm with you guys. I think that this… this is the right thing to do." Teresa looked to Thomas. Her eyes seemed to almost be pleading to him, asking him to accept her.

"Guys. None of us are guilt free. We've all done things that we've regretted." Thomas started. He thought of what he'd done to Newt. He wasn't sure if he was trying to convince the others or himself. "Everyone should have a second chance. Besides what are we gonna do? Send her back to WICKED? She's still one of us."

The guys seemed skeptical, and Minho still looked dissatisfied. However, the girls from Group B were more accepting. The girls from group B all stepped forward, shielding Teresa from the group of angry looking guys.

"If any of you sticks have a problem with her staying, you have to go through me first." Harriet declared quite fiercely.

No one spoke. Hazel, who was watching the argument unfold quietly from the side wasn't surprised that no one dared to challenge Harriet. In their maze, even the bravest souls refused to contradict her when she was determined like that. She always spoke with so much authority and could kick anyone's ass if it came down to a fight.

"If anything happens because of her, I promise, I'll kill her first." Gally spat, quite spitefully and stormed away.

"Well, glad that's over. Who's ready to party?" Sonya called out cheerfully. That girl always had a talent for breaking the ice.

* * *

The bonfire burned wildly and brightly, which seemed to perfectly capture the mood of the Gladers; freedom, a feeling of invulnerability, and high hopes for a new life.

All around, people were getting drunk off of Gally's secret recipe, and a form of alcohol that Group B drank called Moonshot. Hazel took in the bonfire. Thomas was sitting near the fire with both Teresa and Brenda. None of them looked too pleased to be there. Frypan was serving refreshments, as expected. Harriet was loudly telling a funny story to a couple of Gladers from Group A, and Sonya was off to the side, flirting with a cute looking guy. She was obviously drunk, and laughing too loudly. Hazel annoyingly noted that the guy was not Gally; the person Sonya was supposed to be with. Hazel spotted Winston participating in a drinking game with a group of boys. She decided that she would first focus on Winston first.

"I can't believe your still standing after all that." Minho was slurring his words, leaning against a tree for support.

"Seriously Minho? I bet on you and you lose to Winston?" Gally grumbled loudly. "You probably did this on purpose shuck-face."

"Do we have our champion now?" Aris asked. He was one of the only ones who had bet on Winston.

Minho noticed Hazel approaching.

"You're Hazel right?" He said quite lazily.

"Yes." Hazel answered cautiously; feeling a bit intimidated being surrounded by drunken guys.

Minho shot forward in excitement. "Guys! We found our new drinking challenger!"

He pushed Hazel onto the makeshift podium.

"What?!" Hazel tried to break free but Minho was persistent.

"Harriet over there," Minho almost lost his balance and stumbled over a tree root, "tells me, that you were the drinking champ back in the maze."

"Did she really?" Hazel grimaced. She would have a stern talk with her leader once this was over. "But too bad for you boys but I solemnly promised myself to never drink alcohol again." That event was still too raw in her mind. The time when she had gotten so piss drunk and it had almost cost someone their life.

"Win for us, and you'll get a share of the bettings." Minho slurred.

"Which is?"

"A week of servitude from Winston." He grinned.

Hazel had to admit, the winning did sound very attractive, especially in accordance to her mission to seduce Winston. However, when she looked at the bottles and and her insides did flips. Sweat beads formed on her forehead and she almost turned away. She would have left leaving the challenge undefeated and her fears unconquered if not for the annoying male voice.

"Aw forget it. You're just a girl. You could never even beat our worst drinker-Tommy."

Hazel was absolutely irritated. She hated the word "girl" being used as a connotation to "weak." Their maze had far more survivors and the guys still believed that boys were the superior races. Moreover, she never backed away on a challenge. Her anger winning over her rationals, she pushed Minho back onto the tree.

"I'll do it."

Once Hazel emptied a couple bottles of Gally's secret recipe to make it fair to Winston, they were ready to begin. Most of the guys bet on Winston. Only Aris, and Minho bet on her. Aris betting on her was no surprise because he knew her drinking habits from back in the maze. But she was a bit fazed over the fact that Minho bet on her even after his comment... Hazel scowled as realization hit her. Minho had baited her. Minho smiled back at her in confirmation. However, it was too late to back down now.

Moreover, she was determined to win. She told herself that it wasn't just about winning a bet with some boys but she saw it as a way to accept her mistakes and move on.

The first two glasses were walks in the park. By the third glass, Hazel's head was beginning to throb. She could hold her liquor decently well compared to the other girls but this alcohol was definitely a lot stronger than what she was used to. Winston showed no signs of slowing down. By the 6th glass, Hazel wanted to throw up. And when the ninth glass came, and just the moment when she thought that she would pass out, Winston fell forward on the table, scattering all the cups and splashing them on to the spectators. Hazel tried raised her glass in victory, but her arm went no higher than head height. She faltered on her feet and was about to fall to the ground and when a muscular arm swooped her up.

Minho whooped, scooping her onto his shoulder. "I could kiss you for that!"

"No, no. I need to kiss Winston instead." Hazel blurted out. Being on Minho's shoulders was making her dizzy from the height. _"Aw shit did I just say that?"_

"Winston? You'd rather take that ugly shank instead of this handsome face? You really must be drunk right now." Minho laughed.

When Hazel didn't respond, Minho put her back on the ground.

"Man, are you okay? You don't look so good." He put his hands on her forehead.

"What do you think idiot, I just had nine glasses of that pissin drink. I'm feelin just peachy." Hazel mumbled, swatting his hand away. With that, she passed out cold.

* * *

It was not until morning that she woke up. Hazel opened her eyes to a killer headache. She recalled flashbacks of the drinking challenge with Winston, and the slip up to Minho, and…Hazel closed her eyes again, not wanting to recall their embarrassing encounter. Hazel opened her eyes again and noticed that someone had moved her to a cozy grassy area. She blinked. Draped across her body was a certain boy's jacket. Hazel was almost sure that a certain Korean boy was wearing the exact same jacket the night before.


	4. Dealin' with the Devil

Thomas ran through the woods at full speed. He was on his morning run. As much as he didn't want to admit it, in a way, he missed the maze. He missed the feeling of running through its walls, adrenaline rushing through his veins, and the steady beat of his heart. Most of all, he missed the people. The Glade was obviously their prison, but it was the only home that Thomas had known. An hour later, Thomas stopped at the outskirts of where the forest ended. He was five minutes away from where everyone was fast asleep, or knocked out from the alcohol the night before. He wanted to be alone for a bit. His thoughts would not stop reverting back to Brenda and Teresa, and the messy knot that their relationship was left in. Thomas wanted to laugh. After surviving the maze, the scorch trials, and the fight with WICKED, he was having girl troubles. Who knew? He knew that he would have to sort out the tangles in their relationship. If Brenda was his future, Teresa was his past that he didn't know if he could leave behind.

Thomas sighted Minho dead asleep with a bunch of other Gladers who had unwisely drank too much. Minho was lying with Frypan and Billy. His arms were spread out, intruding into Frypan's personal space. He slept with his mouth gaping open, and he was snoring so loudly that he was surprised he didn't wake everyone in Paradise.

"You guys better wake up! We're assigning jobs today!" Thomas yelled. Not a single soul stirred. Groaning, Thomas leaned into Minho. He was about the slap the former Runner out of oblivion, but he had a better idea. He placed his hands on Minho's chest and slowly traced his hand towards his biceps. Inching his mouth near Minho's mouth he whispered, "Wake up, babe." While giving his biceps a hard squeeze. Immediately, Minho's head shot up, whacking Thomas's head in the process.

"Ow, dude." Thomas protested.

"What the f-Tommy." A rather rude word escaped from Minho's mouth. "I didn't survive the shuking maze only to have your ugly shanky face staring at me in the morning." He rubbed his chest.

"If only you weren't such an ugly shank, I'd have woken you up with a kiss." Thomas winked.

Minho snorted. "I hope your kissing skills aren't as bad as your jokes."

Thomas rolled his eyes. "Anyway, we were supposed to meet everyone up by the hill an hour ago. Brenda is gonna have our butts."

Minho yawned. "That Brenda chick needs to stop with her violence."

Minho yelled at everyone to "get off their lazy butts," acting as if he wasn't asleep just a minute ago. When only Billy and Frypan responded to his shouting, he proceeded to dump water over every sleeping boy. The waking process went significantly faster after that.

* * *

Trying to clear her head, Hazel made her way over to the stream. In the water's reflection, she saw that her long mousy brown hair very closely resembled a bird's nest. Barely being able to open her eyes, she half-heartedly ran her hands through her hair, stifling a yawn. Her hair was a lost cause, so she abandoned it. When she stumbled back to her sleeping place, the olive jacket stood out in the grass, like a gem in the dirt. She contemplated her choices. She could leave it there, ignore Minho for the rest of her life, and pretend that night never happened. Or, she could take the jacket, thank Minho, and face the inevitable embarrassments. Hazel sighed. She picked up the jacket, brushed the grass off with her hand, and brought it with her as she made her way to the hills.

* * *

"NO, NO, NO WAY IN HELL!" Minho yelled, crumpling the piece of paper that was in his hands.

"What's the problem?" Harriet asked, making her way over to the source of trouble.

"Minho's just…dissatisfied that he has to" Thomas started to explain,

"WORK WITH THAT TRAITOR!" Minho sputtered.

Now it was Harriet's turn to be angry. "We already worked out yesterday that Teresa is one of us. Grow up a little. We didn't survive the maze by being picky over _who_ we have to work with. Get over it."

Minho turned red in the face, either from anger or embarrassment.

"I'll do any shucking job you want me to, just not with her."

Harriet glared back. "Fine. It's not me who you should be talking to. I didn't make the list."

"Then who did?"

"Hazel."

Hazel could hear Minho's yelling from a mile away and she knew that he had seen the list. Back in her maze, she was always the organized planner. She was meticulous and resourceful. She always took count of the supplies that they had, the percentage of growth yield, and amount of meat that they would need, and also helped design their buildings. She wasn't one of the leaders, and never did she want to assume that role. She was terrible with public speaking, and could never speak with such authority like Harriet, or soothe out a discontented group like Sonya. However, she was smart and she knew what to do in difficult situations. Thus, Harriet had asked her for help to start things up in Paradise. Hazel agreed, and of course, she also implemented her "mission" in the process. She had paired up Thomas and Brenda to scout and map paradise on the west side, and Minho and Teresa to do the East. She also proceeded to assign kitchen duties to Frypan and Harriet, as well as building jobs to both Gally and Sonya. She thought that everything would go fine until Minho showed up, literally kicking up a storm.

"That was the dumbest shuck list I've ever seen in my life!" Minho was shouting into my face.

Annoyed that Minho had to be difficult, Hazel crossed her arms. "You and your Glader slang is the dumbest thing I've heard in my life."

"Give me a new job."

"No."

"Who gave you the right to make decisions?"

"Harriet and Brenda, since you boys agreed to let them take charge. It's really all your fault. If you guys weren't so lazy, maybe someone from your group would have volunteered."

"Listen. If you really want the best for this place, then it's not in your best interest to put me and Teresa together. We'll probably end up burning this place down." Minho calmed his breathing, trying to reason with her.

Except, putting Minho and Teresa together was in Hazel's best interests. It would allow Thomas and Brenda to work things out themselves, and maybe miraculously, Teresa and Minho would learn to tolerate one another.

"The list is made." Hazel pursed her lips in a tight line. She supposed she felt a little sympathy for him. She would be threatening to murder the person if someone had also forced to work with someone she loathed.

"Fine. I won't do a single thing. In fact, I'll lie here and not move a single muscle until you give me a new job." Minho plopped down on the grass, his mouth curved upwards in a smug smile.

"Suit yourself." Hazel said, walking away. If he really thought that she would cave in to his needs just because he acted like a child. However, Hazel's blood was boiling. That boy really had a way of getting under people's skins.

* * *

"Is he still lying there?" Thomas asked, his mouth full of food. He felt guilty for eating when his best friend was starving himself. But he was exhausted from all the scouting. It had been a full day since Minho planted himself in that spot. Knowing that boy, he'd rather die than succumb to other people's wishes. His pride was everything, and he was just stubborn as a bull.

"Yes. And I'm not caving." Hazel said. She understood that she herself was being selfish, but it was more than just her mission now. They were in paradise, and had a chance at peace. But that stupid excuse of a boy was ruining it for all of them. "He has to learn to accept that things won't always go his way."

"I think he's already learned that." Thomas said quietly, looking down. Again, he thought of Newt. Thomas hadn't been in the maze as long as Minho but Minho was there from the beginning. The death of the other boys hadn't affected him as much but he could only imagine how it affected Minho to watch his friends die. His hatred of WICKED and Teresa was understandable.

Her food stuck to her throat. "Fine. I'll _consider_ changing the list." Hazel responded quietly.

* * *

"You dead yet?" Hazel yelled into the dark, squinting to find where Minho was lying.

"No, not yet, I'm sorry to tell you. Ow! Woman, don't step on me!"

Hazel had stepped directly on his thigh. "Shit, sorry." she said quite half-heartedly. Just because she was here to change the list didn't mean she had to be friendly.

Minho scoffed in the dark. "That sounded so sincere."

"It's as civil as I can be when I'm in your presence. Just being near you makes me want to punch you in the face."

Minho scoffed again. "I'd like to see you try. Can you even reach my face with those short legs and arms of yours?"

"I don't have time for this. Listen, I'm going to change the list."

"Really? What made you change your mind? I had the impression that you were stubborn as a bull and wouldn't change your mind until I was dead." Minho sat up immediately.

"Funny, that was the impression I had of you." Hazel sighed. "Thomas convinced me. I guess he made you out as a damsel in distress and I felt bad for you."

"Nah, Tommy always had a way with talking to chicks." Minho smirked. "Before you get your hopes up, Thomas already has two competitors so I don't think you have a chance-

"I'm not at all interested in Thomas. Just tell me what you'd prefer to do." She retorted curtly. She was really getting fed up.

"Anything with running?"

"No, and I'm glad we left running back in the maze." Hazel said, shaking her head at the memory of escaping the maze and the cranks.

"What job are you doing?"

Hazel was surprised at the sudden question. "I'm on building duty with Sonya and Gally."

"That doesn't sound too bad, minus the fact Gally is there."

"Alright…" A silence passed over them. Hazel was glad for the sudden quiet and the peace that was brought with it. At least she didn't have to deal with Minho's annoying voice.

"So, why aren't you interested in Thomas? I thought all girls were all over him. His dreamy abs, soft hair, and strong arms." He snickered.

Hazel sighed. Of course he had to break the one moment of silence.

"I hate to break to your testosterone-filled ego, but not all girls are interested in jumping into bed with all hot guys I see, and frankly, I'm not at all interested in guys right now."

"So you like girls? Man, that must've been so nice for you being in a maze full of girls if you like them. You know, sleeping in the same rooms and sharing the same showers. All we had was Teresa and she was a bitch."

"You should get out your head that girls living together do _not_ sleep in the same bed, and we do not walk around in our underwear or shower naked together and I do _not_ like girls." Hazel huffed. This boy was impossible.

Minho looked vaguely disappointed. "I can still have my fantasies. Do you have any food? I've been starving here thanks to you."

Hazel was 99% from kicking this obnoxious idiot in the face. In an effort to calm herself, and to shut him up, she handed over the wrapped sandwiches that she had brought.

"Now, you've got some sense woman!" He eagerly took the sandwiches Hazel brought and immediately started to stuff his face.

Hazel eyes were finally starting to adjust to the dark. She could make out the outline of his face, and as she watched the sight of Minho attacking the food, she couldn't help but laugh a little. It was an uplifting sound, her laughing that is. At least, that's what Minho thought.

"Mmm, this is so good." He said through mouthfuls of food. "Gotta really hand it to Fry."

"I made it actually. Frypan wouldn't let me take any of the leftovers so I raided his pantry. Thanks for enjoying it. It's always nice to see someone appreciate your cooking."

"I think you could replace Fry as the cook." Minho said appreciatively.

"I'll stick with building I think. Thanks by the way." She said a little hesitantly.

Minho looked puzzled. "For stuffing my face?"

"No, for this." Hazel lifted up the neatly folded jacket and handed it back to him.

"Oh that." Minho waved her off. "That's nothing. Don't you have a jacket?"

"Nah, I threw it off in the scorch. Who knew that it would get cold at night?" Hazel forever scolded herself at that stupid and impulsive decision.

"Keep it then. The night gets pretty chilly."

'Thanks…" Hazel was thankful for the cover of darkness, for she could feel her cheeks redden from this sudden act of kindness. It was such a contrast between the asshole attitude he was showing a minute before. Out of nowhere, Hazel had an idea. Minho was Thomas's best friend which meant…

"Minho? In return for changing your job, can I ask you for a favor?"

"What can I do for you, great majesty?" Minho retorted mockingly.

"Help me get Thomas and Brenda together."

 **AN: I wanted to upload this before I went to work so editing may be rough. I'll review it later though. I know a lot of people don't like Teresa but some people also agree with her decisions. What are your guy's opinions on her. My feelings about her are mixed. I don't hate her, but I don't particularly like her either.**


	5. Pigs before you

"Definitely not." Minho replied instantly while he stared at Hazel suspiciously. "Why are you so intent on getting them together?"

Hazel didn't miss a beat. "Because I want Brenda to be happy. She saved my life a couple times back when we were escaping from WICKED you know." It wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the complete truth either. Luckily, Hazel was a pretty novice liar.

Minho still didn't look convinced. "Dude, whoever Tommy dates isn't up to me. Besides, as much as I hate that chick, if being with her makes Tommy happy, then they can knock themselves out. So just slim it, and mind your own business."

"Fine. You don't need to help me." Hazel sighed. She cringed at how childish she sounded but she couldn't help but feel bitter at Minho's words. Her life would've been a hundred times easier if she could just have a partner in crime.

"Why are you so desperate to get them together? I mean, shouldn't you be focused on getting your own love life?" Minho smirked, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "Did you know that there's way more girls than guys in this place? Paradise is definitely a fit name for this place."

"Don't be so sure that all guys will up with a girl either. Judging by the same some of you boys look and act." Hazel snorted.

Minho just snickered. "I'll have to agree with you on that. Gally looks like he's been stomped one by a herd of cows. And that's on his good days."

"I do have someone in my mind though." She leaned away from Minho. His closeness was making her feel uncomfortable.

"Who?" Minho looked surprised. He crossed his arms and leaned back. "Man, already? I swear, sometimes girls are faster at-

"Winston." Hazel said, cutting Minho off. Even as she said it, it sounded bizarre. She couldn't possibly imagine any girl in the right mind would fall for that creepy guy.

For once in his life, Minho was dumbstruck, and he could not think of a response. All he could do was let out loud bark that Hazel supposed was laughter. He hugged his stomach tight, and threw his face back. His laughing grew louder and louder, until he was almost rolling in the grass. Hazel's face turned red as she realized that _he was laughing at her_.

"You're joking right? Winston? Don't you know that he's-

But Hazel would not hear it. Her fingers clenched around the grass beneath her and she pulled out a clump. In her embarrassment, she threw the wad of grass into Minho's face before storming off. Hazel could still hear the sound of Minho snickering even from afar.

* * *

"Sonya, how do I look?" Hazel asked, soothing down her clothing that she'd been wearing for months.

Sonya snorted, looking up from her sleeping bag. "Same as usual. Why do you bother asking?"

Hazel groaned at her best friend's unsupportiveness. "Because I have a… a date today."

Sonya's eyes grew wide. She jumped out of her sleeping bag. "With who? Oh my god Hazel, I never thought I'd live to see this day!" Then, Sonya let out a squeal. A genuine, squeaky, high-pitched, girly squeal.

"Shut up Sonya!" Hazel whispered furiously. She looked around, hoping no one heard that blood curdling screech. "Don't tell anyone… it's with Winston."

"Winston? You don't mean that uh, creepy shady looking dude who always reeks of pig waste?" Sonya made the exact same face that Rachel had made once when she "accidently" ate mold.

"That's the one." Hazel replied.

"Why him? I mean, there are so many other cute guys out there. Like have you seen that Asian runner? He has really nice arms." Sonya giggled.

"That stubborn pig? No thanks." Hazel rolled her eyes at Sonya's girliness.

"Trust me. You do not want to go out with Winston. That guy's face is enough to give me nightmares. Besides, how did you get him to go on a date with you? I though he was only interested in animals. And besides, there's a rumor that he's into bestiality" Sonya whispered seriously.

"Sonya, I'm sure he's a nice guy once you get to know him." Hazel did not want to tell Sonya that it wasn't really a date. Like Sonya had said, Winston really did not have an interest in anything other than his job. To get him to spend time with her, Hazel told him that she was claiming her bet winnings from the drinking game.

"Fine, if you insist. You look beautiful as usual Hazel." Sonya smiled. "But one thing, lose the jacket. It looks too manly. You don't want Winston to think you're having another secret affair."

Hazel blushed, and shrugged out of the jacket.

* * *

"It's a beautiful day today isn't it?" Hazel smiled to Winston.

Hazel had dragged Winston down to the beach for their "date." Needless to say, Winston had been as unwilling as a pig going into a slaughterhouse.

"I suppose." Winston replied monotonously. His face was masked with faint politeness, but his boredom and disinterest was still quite obvious.

Hazel stared at Winston. His fair complexion seemed even paler by the sun. She briefly wondered if he was a vampire. He definitely did seem to have an aptitude for it. He obviously liked blood, and he seemed to physically cringe away from the sun. One feature that did not fit was his acne. _"Surely vampires don't get acne? Heck, they don't even go through puberty!"_

Winston was not the only one experiencing terrible boredom. Hazel shook her head, telling herself to focus on the date.

Hazel cleared her throat. "So Winston, what do you like to do?"

"I work in the Blood house."

"Okay….but what do you do for fun other than working in the Blood house?"

Winston just stared at her like she was speaking an alien language.

"Don't you have any questions for me?" Hazel asked sweetly, trying to imitate that flirty tone that Sonya used with most guys.

"Why do you talk so much?" He asked.

Winston did not seem very eager to know the answer. He just continued to stare blankly at the ocean in front.

"It's good that we get to know each other right?" Hazel responded, batting her eyelashes.

"When can I leave?" Winston asked.

He seemed slightly more interested to know the answer to this question.

"When do you want to leave?"

"Now."

Hazel chocked on her hamburger that she was munching on. If people gave prizes for worst dates ever in history, this one would win the goddamn Olympics.

"Winston, remember our bet?" Hazel reminded him. She couldn't believe that her first date would be her blackmailing a guy into going on a date with her.

Winston just sighed. "I wish I'd lost to Minho instead."

Hazel wanted to cry and drown Winston at the same time.

 **AN: Yup, Minho is definitely a "Bros before hoes" guy. Please review and let me know what you think so far!**


	6. Distractions and Misunderstandings

Minho absolutely loved this job. Even if he had the misfortune of having to work with Gally, the fact that he got to work with the hottest babe in Paradise definitely improved his conditions. And by the hottest babe, he meant Sonya, with her 5'8 frame, long beach blonde hair, model legs, perky breasts and a nice supple hips. Whenever he thought she wasn't looking, he would gaze appreciatively at her figure. Little did he know that Sonya knew that he was staring and she did not mind at all. In fact, when Sonya thought that Minho wasn't looking, she would also stare admiringly at Minho's well sculpted biceps. And when their eyes met, Minho would give her a tiny smirk which would leave Sonya blushing and in a fit of giggles. The blonde bombshell was currently standing on top self-made ladder to work on the outstanding roof with Minho holding the ladder steady for her. He had to admit, he didn't mind the view.

The person who was in the midst of all this cheesy and dramatic flirting was Gally who currently the only one was doing any hard work. And Gally nevertheless felt suffocated.

"Hey, shuck-face slim it with your incessant flirting. It's making me wanna throw up."

Minho just smirked. "Maybe you should slim it with your bitterness. It never done you any good in the past."

Gally's face turned red in anger. "We've barely made any progress this morning because of you two's shameless flirting. If you keep this up, I'm going to talk to Hazel to get you two separated."

"Whatever Gally." Minho rolled his eyes. "You were also too much of a coward to fight me directly anyways."

Gally threw his hammer down.

Minho, oblivious to how close he was to being knocked up in the head continued "All those years in the maze and you never volunteer to be a runner."

Gally roughly grabbed the collar of Minho's shirt and pulled him closer so that Minho's face was inches from his own. The taunting smirk never left Minho's face even as Gally raised his fists to strike.

"Come one guys." Sonya interrupted smoothly. She had quickly gotten down from the ladder and was now standing between the two tense boys. She gently pryed Gally's hands off of Minho's collar; she flashed Gally a smile. "I'm sorry we weren't working as hard. We promise we'll work harder from now. We need to get along in order to survive right?" Sonya smiled sweetly at Gally. Gally paused momentarily and looked away as if he was embarrassed or angry. Sonya sent Minho a wink.

"What does Hazel do anyway? I haven't seen her once help us on this town hall." They were currently building a meeting place where they would hold important meetings and trials. Basically, it would be a place for Gatherings.

"Hazel does more work than any of us." Sonya responded. "That's all she knows. Work, work and more work."

"She should learn to enjoy things a bit more." Minho said as he tried to straighten out his now rumpled clothes.

"Are you guys bad-mouthing me?" Hazel emerged at the site of construction. She looked absolutely horrible with dark circles down to her cheeks, messy hair, chapped lips. In terms of flowers, she looked like a withered weed taken out by a strong chemical weed-spray.

"Just talking about how dedicated you are." Sonya teased. "But oh my, have you been getting any sleep at all? You look terrible."

"I agree. You look like a zombie." Minho put in.

Hazel was too tired to think of a smart witty response and chose to wave off that comment. Instead, she turned to Gally.

"Here, I finished the final blueprint for this- Hazel yawned, "for the town hall."

Before Gally could receive the piece of paper, Minho intercepted it from behind with his long arms.

Hazel cursed silently. "Hey! Just give it back. You wouldn't understand with your pea brain anyway."

"Meh, I guess it's decent." Minho declared. He tossed the paper back to Hazel. Hazel, momentarily distracted missed the catch and it fell weakly to the muddy ground.

"Decent? A week of staying up to finish the goddamn town hall and you call it decent? And you throw my hard work, my sweat into the mud so that it can get ruined?" Hazel screeched.

"Calm down, it's muddy. Not ruined." Minho responded back carelessly.

The brunette's face was tomato red and it was almost comical as she let out another screech and punched Minho straight in the nose. The Korean boy held his hands up in surrender but the short mousy girl was far from done.

"YOU STUPID STICK! UGH!" She then proceeded to push Minho down to the ground. She would've started to kick him again in the face if not for Sonya holding her back.

"Hazel! Stop! You're gonna kill him!"

"LET GO! I WILL KILL HIM. I'LL KILL HIM AND GO DROWN MYSELF FOR MY SINS BUT SEEING HIS DEAD BODY WILL BE WORTH IT!" Hazel fiercely struggled against Sonya's iron tight grip. But her strength was obviously no match for the tall, and former runner.

It was Gally's words that actually calmed the rampaging girl.

"This is actually amazing." Gally interrupted.

Hazel paused in her struggle with Sonya and looked at Gally. He was currently inspecting the now dirty, but readable blueprint of the building.

"The design is both great in terms of function and it has great durability. It also minimizes the number of supplies we're required to use." Gally approved.

Hazel positively beamed.

"Let's just get to work. It's no surprise that the stupid shank doesn't know a masterpiece when he sees one. I'm excited to finish this." Gally mused.

Hazel sent one last especially dirty look at Minho. He flinched. He seriously hoped that she was through with beating him up.

"Just get back to work. But please stay on that side. I don't want to have to stare at your ugly _shuck_ face any longer." She huffed as she reached for a hammer.

* * *

Minho's face seriously hurt. Badly. He wanted to take a break but his ego would not let him admit to the fact that a girl, not even reaching up to his shoulders and physically hurt him. Getting beaten up by a girl in front of Gally was bad enough; he had embarrassed himself enough for the day. Gally's and Minho's mood had now been completely swapped. Gally now sent jeers in Minho's way. He figured that the best way to soothe his damaged pride was to just ignore Gally and focus on his work. Strangely, he found that Sonya was no longer the source of his distractions.

Hazel was currently hammering away on a piece of plywood, finishing up on the pillars. Her brows were slightly furrowed in deep concentration of her work. And her lips tightly closed. When she finished the little piece that she was working on, she would stop, step back, and wipe away her swea. When she did this, her mouth broke out into a huge smile and her eyes twinkled. What Minho was witnessing was a person so devoted and in love with their work. It was truly a mesmerizing sight-to see a master at their finest trade.

Hazel was currently in the process of inspecting her windowsills. It was to her satisfaction. She smiled and when she looked over, her eyes came into direct contact with the Korean boy who was staring at her. She immediately scowled. He turned away, embarrassed that she had caught him staring at her like an idiot. Hazel thought nothing of it; just that he had been watching her to get revenge at her.

As the day grew bleaker, and as they worked longer, Minho found himself getting more distracted; so distracted that his hands slipped on the saw that he was holding and cut his hands rather than the plywood.

"Ah! Shoot!"

Sonya immediately rushed over.

"Minho! Oh my gosh, are you okay! There's so much blood!" She gasped, horrified.

"Calm down, It's just blood. His skins too thick for that too hurt." Gally mocked.

Hazel was also dead calm. She gently pushed the panicking blonde away so that she could inspect his wounds.

"It's pretty deep. You might need stiches. You won't die though." Hazel calmly reported.

"What a relief. Thanks doc." He rolled his eyes sarcastically, or tried to at least. It was obvious that he was in pain.

"Sonya, get me some clean water and some clean cloth. You should find some by where we keep our supplies. Gally, I need you to run down to the main field and get the first aid kit." She ripped off a hem of cloth off of Minho's shirt.

"That's my shirt. Why not use yours?" He whined.

She couldn't help rolling her eyes. Even in times like this, she wondered how he had the will to joke. "You wish." With one hand she held his hands and with the other, she firmly pressed the cloth into the wound.

Sonya and Gally shortly arrived with the supplies.

"Thanks. Now go get some dinner or something. You're only going to be a hindrance here."

Gally happily stormed off. But Sonya was more reluctant.

"Sonya, he's going to be okay. Trust me." Hazel sighed. She was getting impatient.

"Alright, alright, Doctor Hazel I'm off. I hope you're okay Minho." Sonya looked back once more before leaving in the direction that Gally had left.

Hazel continued with her treatment. She rinsed the blood from his wounds and poured antibiotics to prevent infections. The motion should have stung but Minho took it surprisingly well. That was, until she took out the needles. She ran alcohol over the thin needle to sanitize it. Minho turned pale.

"Do I have to have that? Maybe you could put a bandage on it? Like Gally said, I have thick skin." Minho proclaimed.

" _He goes through the maze and the Scorch and he's afraid of needles?"_ Hazel thought ludicrously.

"Hey. It's okay. It's just a needle." Hazel was now in fully doctor mode. She treated her patients all the same. "Just look at me. Don't look at the needle."

Minho breathed in and out. He did as he was told and stared only at her face. He felt a slight sting on his hand and shuddered at the thought of the pointy thing going through his skin. The thought caused him to concentrate even more on Hazel's face. Her name was truly fitting for her appearance. Her eyes were truly hazel; a deep brown colour with flecks of gold shining through. Under a layer of grime and dirt from working all day, Minho detected smooth porcelain skin. As before, her brows were furrowed in concentration and her full lips in a sort of grimace. He was so intensly immersed in inspecting the details of her face that he did not even realize that she had finished stictching up before she let out a deep cough.

"Uh… I'm finished. You can look now."

"Oh right. Thanks." He cleared his throat and awkwardly looked away. He stretched out his arms and tried to act nonchalantly to play off the fact that he, the former keeper of runners was scared of a needle.

Suddenly, the short girl reached her hands to his face. So gently that her fingers brushed against his lips. Minho stopped breathing and assessed the situation. Painfully misreading the situation, he smirked. He grabbed her hand and pulled it into his. Because of the difference in the size, his hands completely engulfed his.

"I didn't take your for a girly who got so physical." He teased; his pain ridden face now completely gone and now replaced with his usual smugness.

Hazel just rolled her eyes again.

"Just give me your hands." She commanded impatiently.

"If you insist." He grinned again as he held out both hands in front of him.

Hazel dropped two red pills into his outstretched palm.

"Painkillers. They'll help you sleep and help turn your nights into less of a nightmare." She droned on, already tired of the Runner's antics. She finished packing up the emergency kit, stood up and left. Not once did she look back.

Minho was left in the darkness. For a long time, he remained there in place for he could not bear the thought of rejoining the others quite yet. This was the most humiliating day he had in his entire life.

 **AN: So somehow I found the will to update this story. The ideas for this story is all in my head, I just have to find the will to put it onto paper. Reviews would definitely help me :) This chapter took me almost three days to write whereas the other ones took me one day. So I thought, surely this much be my longest one! But apparently it wasn't... Anyway, please tell me what you think so far!**


End file.
